Category — Cat Health Guide

Salmonellosis in Cats

Salmonellosis is an infection found in cats caused by the Salmonella bacteria. Along with causing gastroenteritis and septicemia in cats, salmonellosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease, meaning it can be transmitted to humans.

Salmonellosis can also affect dogs. If you would like to learn more about how this disease affects dogs, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

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A fracture is defined as a crack or break in the bone. Most fractures are due to high impact or stress on the bone, usually caused by automobile accidents or falls. The bones most commonly broken in cats are the femur, pelvis, tailbone, and jaw.

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Dental Caries

Dental caries is a condition in which the dental hard tissues decay as the result of oral bacteria on the tooth surface. While dental caries are not common in cats, it does occur and should be watched for.

Caries can affect the crown or the roots of the teeth, and is classified as pit-and-fissure caries, smooth-surface caries, or root caries. There is no known breed, age, or gender risk.

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Feline chronic diarrhea is defined as a change in the frequency, consistency, and volume of feces for three weeks or with recurrence. The cause of diarrhea may originate in either the large or small intestine.

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Malformation Tooth Enamel in Cats

When tooth enamel — the outer coating of the tooth — is allowed to develop normally it has a smooth and white appearance. Abnormal environmental or physical conditions can interfere with the development of tooth enamel, however, causing it to take on a discolored, pitted or otherwise unusual appearance.

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Coprophagia and Pica in Cats

Pica is a medical issue referring to a craving for non-food items and the subsequent eating of them. Coprophagia is the eating and ingesting of feces. Generally, neither of these conditions are the result of an underlying disease, but may be the result of a mineral or vitamin deficiency. Fortunately, there are treatment options in these types of cases, or behavior modification practices that can be implemented if it is a non-threatening issue.

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Interstitial Pneumonia in Cats

Pneumonia refers to an inflammation in the cat’s lungs. Interstitial pneumonia, meanwhile, refers to a form of pneumonia in which the inflammation occurs in the walls of the cat’s alveoli (the air cells of the lungs), or in the interstitium (the spaces between the tissue cells of the alveoli). The alveoli are cellular components of the cat’s airway — where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.

Interstitial pneumonia can occur in both cats and dogs, with some breeds being more susceptible than others. If you would like to learn more about how this disease affects dogs, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

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Coccidioidomycosis/Coccidioides

Coccidioidomycosis, an illness caused by the Coccidioides immitis fungus, comes from inhalation of the soil-borne fungus. The respiratory system is most affected, with the fungus spores beginning in the lungs as round spherules, living in a parasitic stage there until they grow large enough to rupture, releasing hundreds of endospores. They then begin a parasitic stage in the tissues, growing and rupturing, and then disseminating into the wider body perpetually. Endospores can also take a faster route through the body by way of the lymphatic and blood vessel systems, resulting in systemic infection – meaning the entire body will be affected. Full infection sets in around 7 – 20 days after exposure, though some animals can develop an immunity and never show any symptoms, especially younger animals. Animals that are susceptible to the infection can become ill from only a small amount of the coccidioides fungus; fewer than ten fungus spores are needed to cause the disorder.

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Sudden Onset of Vomiting in Cats

Cats will commonly vomit from time to time, often because they might have eaten something that upset their stomachs, or simply because they have sensitive digestive systems. However, the condition becomes acute when the vomiting does not stop and when there is nothing left in the cat’s stomach to throw up except bile. It is important you take your pet to a veterinarian in these cases.

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Pancreatitis in Cats

The pancreas is part of the endocrine and digestive system, which is integral for the digestion of foods, producing the enzymes that digest food, and producing insulin. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the flow of enzymes into the digestive tract can become disrupted, forcing the enzymes out of the pancreas and into the abdominal area.

If this occurs, the digestive enzymes will begin to break down fat and proteins in the other organs, as well as in the pancreas. In effect, the body begins to digest itself. Because of their proximity to the pancreas, the kidney and liver can also be affected when this progression takes place, and the abdomen will become inflamed, and possibly infected as well. If bleeding occurs in the pancreas, shock, and even death can follow.

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